Two west Michigan leaders are among members of a new state board tackling lead poisoning.

Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and Paul Haan, executive director of the Health Homes Coalition of West Michigan, were appointed to the new Child Lead Poisoning Elimination Board by Governor Rick Snyder on Friday.

Other members include Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of pediatric residency at Hurley Medical Center in Flint and a well-known advocate during the Flint contamination crisis.

Lt. Governor Brian Calley was appointed board chair.

The 12-member task force also includes the directors of the state departments of environmental quality, health and human services, regulatory affairs and housing development.

Snyder says he created the board to establish statewide prevention strategies for lead exposure in children.

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Grand Rapids officials and civic-minded programmers look to partner on ideas that use city data for community benefit.

Allen Clark is a brigade captain at Friendly Code – the Grand Rapids chapter of Code for America.

“People who come and volunteer, working on these projects – they’re not just things you do, things you might get paid for," he says. "We’re helping improve our own communities. So people work a little bit harder.”

Friendly Code hosts an event on Tuesday night that’s part civic volunteerism and part long-term hackathon.